Is it credible that a twelve year old girl would be sent to a reform school for aiding and abetting a war criminal killed during an escape after having been harbored confidentially in garage hideout? Is it conceivable that two parents could be so hateful towards one daughter and not the other? Is it potential that grandparents could be so diametrically opposite the parents of their grandchildren with no logical reason? Is it believable that a parent could so savagely beat his child without suffering some repercussions even from a viciously repugnant small-town society known for its close-knit family ties? Is it so standard for a twelve year old to be able to lie so well that the consequences of those lies are allowed to dictate patterns of behavior? These scenarios are extremely unlikely in any realistic depiction of life even in the early twentieth century.
The isolated emergence of the Boy Scouts as a viable force in such a significant situation dealing with national security is laughable. Ms. Green must have notion so, too, because they were not mentioned again. In the same ludicrous vein, the idea of parading a troop of Pow's into a town already deeply sensitive and evaporative with roots replete with racial hatred seems well improbable. Despite these concerns, the story does clearly address the conflict Patty Bergen endures in trying to rule whether she should be true to her own feelings or regain the much deserved attention she craves from parents who seem incapable of being anyone but abusers.
Patty displays the natural tendency to love her younger sibling, Sharon, and shows genuine anger from the dissatisfaction of knowing Sharon is more loved and appreciated than she is. But, love is stronger than hate. Even at her tender age, Sharon displays those traits true to the behavior of the manipulative child who knows how to use her position to the greatest advantage. But, she is merely a supporting character as the focus remains on Patty, her dedication to righteousness, and the hunt for truth. The irony is punctuated by the lies which get Patty into her difficulties as well as out of them.
Ruth is the security net with which Patty is able to overcome the complexity of her difficulties. She is real with the sensitivity that should be attributable to at least one of the parents. Her deep understanding guided Patty through ordeals to be startling only of older children. The proliferation of lies should have resulted in more severe consequences thereby delineating the fact that lies, even when told for noble purposes, should not corollary in beneficence. Such a chapter was never learned.
It took seven chapters before prompting the escape of Anton through an unlikely ploy utilizing manifest greed for a supposedly significant worthless bauble. But, the sudden transition Anton underwent to come to be a harbored Pow instead of escapee under the spell of a pre-teenager baffles me. It is understandable why Patty desired Anton, but it is delusional to think that Mr. Reiker could perhaps be persuaded by man as young as Patty to put themselves in the kind of danger so grievous it killed him. It is apparent that Anton was created more to teach Patty lessons of life rather than to advantage from her indiscretions. It seemed such a waste to have Anton die without a resolution to Patty's emotional upheavals.
Charlene Madlee gave direction and purpose to Patty, but she only served as a refreshing sip where a stifling thirst demanded more than the sporadic gems of sagacious epigrams that emerged approximately as if on request and on cue. Patty miraculously survives the merciless beatings that permeate the text relentlessly begging for a respite not forthcoming. Yet, after eighteen chapters, the theme is ultimately expressed too late to be effective. The fact that her loyalties caused her problems does not by comparison how teenagers should handle their difficulties. Too much time was spent beating the child rather than the child beating her problems.
Bette Greene had good intentions to address problems of unfounded hate learned by youth from their families and environment. But, too much emphasis was settled on parental abuse without excuse and the benefits of lying for good reason. Patty's moral fiber was too strong to have to suffer through such a desolate denouement where only depraved, immoral antagonists should be doomed to suffer such lonely unfulfillment of the loss of family, friends, and future.
Having seen the disaster and deleterious effects of parental abuse, I have a keener understanding into the point of concord, compassion, and understanding in the middle of parents and children. But, those conflicts in the middle of Patty and her parents are secondary, though implementary, to the major theme of dealing with prejudice whether religious, racial, or social. We see the effects of involvement in war and the subsequent prejudice against Russians, Germans, Japanese, and most recently, the Vietnamese as well as Iranians and Iraqians. Furthermore, there are preconceptions against South Africans, Bosnians and the Tutsis and Hutus of the African countries. No one is exempt.
The story also brings to light the inequitable association among peers within the family structure. It reminds me of my own attitude toward my children, the fact that they have distinct mothers -- yet, I have to treat them equally with the same love and devotion that they don't get from a stepmother. I perceive the point of being the educating parent who is responsible for nurturing and laying the foundation upon which children are able to build their own sets of morality and communal standards.
Occasional glimpses of brilliance emerges with witty statements that begged for further thought:
I believe that love is better than hate... That there is more nobility in building a chicken coop than in destroying a cathedral. (p.125)
And at other times I think he's beating out from my body all his own bad. (pp. 114-115)
If I ever had to reduce one for the other, which one would it be? The one who had fed and sheltered me or the one whom I had fed and sheltered? (p. 127)
One of the many outstanding qualities of Ruth emerged as she was ultimately able to give a white woman orders. The fact that she was able to pull this off gave credence to the fact that blacks would well step up and take their rightful position as professionals in fields that were once reserved for whites. This gave me great pleasure because the kinds of habitancy represented by the "caretakers" at the reformatory deserve to be informed no matter how unceremoniously. They deserved what they got and I silently cheered.
Summer of My German Soldier - Bette Greene - Book reviewAnime is the shortened word for 'animation'. It is first introduces by the Japanese, and has been assuredly popular ever since. The birth of anime has brought millions of audience from nearby the world, especially when the Japanese introduced the idea with American animators and Walt Disney productions. Now, there are hundreds of popular anime series that are being watched all over the globe.
Here is a compiled list of some of the best anime series of all time:
#1 - Death Note
This is a manga series that is written and created by Tsugumi Ohba together with Takeshi Obata. The main character is named Light Yagami or Yagami Light. The story involves a high school boy who discovers a notebook that is supernatural which is the 'Death note'. The notebook was dropped by a death god Ryuk. It is where the story revolved, as the boy tries to cleanse evil off the world.
It is sort of a suspense anime series that has a lot of twist into it that makes it more interesting. It is not the best anime series according to surveys.
#2 - Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga series that is written and illustrated by artist Hiromu Arakawa. The plot of the anime series has a European style art that is of commercial Revolution. It is based on a fictional universe where alchemy is the best technique that is used by man. The character Edward and Alphonse Elric uses alchemy to bring back their dead mother.
#3 - Naruto
I don't think whatever would Not know who Naruto is. This is one of those anime series which is popular all over the world. It probably has one of the longest series as well. Young and old, western and Asian have all been captivated by this anime.
#4 - Sailor Moon
This is one of the best anime and probably the most popular in the 1990's. Every 90's girl would know Sailor moon and her friends as they fight the evil forces of the world. It is a very fun and consuming anime of the earlier years, and which small kids would assuredly get addicted to.
#5 - Fruits Basket
Fruits baste is other Japanese manga series that is created by Natsuki takaya. It is inspired by the Japanese magazine Hana to Yume which is being published from 1999 to 2006. The anime was created after that, and has been popular over Japan and other Asian countries ever since. It is a story about an orphan girl who found out that her family members are possessed by the Chinese zodiac animals and were cursed that if they are touched by the opposite sex, they will turn into animals.
#6 - Cowboy Bepop
This is an award winning Japanese anime series that is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and written by Keiko Nobumoto. It has 26 series that follows the tragedies and misadventures of a group of bounty hunters called 'cowboys'. They tour on their spaceship which is called the Bepop.
#7 - Bleach
Bleach is a manga series that is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. The story follows the adventures of Ichogo Kurosaki. He gained several abilities that force him to take on the duties of the defending humans from the evil spirits. He also guides the souls of the dead on their way to afterlife.
Most of the anime series covers a suspense story and a bit scary for small children. That is why most of its viewers are teenagers and other adults.
Japanese tattoos are cool. But if a personal translator is out of your league how can you avoid becoming a kanji fashion victim and get stuck with a tattoo you will really regret?
1. Know the divergence - hiragana, katakana and kanji
Before you talk to your tattoo artist, make sure you know what you are talking about. You say you want a Japanese tattoo, but what do you know about Japanese characters? You need a quick stint in 2-minute Japanese boot camp.
First off, let's be clear that there is no Japanese "alphabet". There are three sets of Japanese characters - hiragana, katakana and kanji - and each group has its own history, function and style. Get your head nearby these facts and you will already know more than 99% of the population walking nearby with Japanese tattoos right now:
Hiragana - These simple, rounded characters describe sounds, but have no independent meaning. They were industrialized by women in the Heian period and are still determined feminine by Japanese people.
Katakana - industrialized by Buddhist monks nearby the same time as hiragana, these are simple, angular characters that also describe sounds and have no meaning of their own. You saw them cascading down the screen in Matrix (although they were backwards!)
Kanji - Originally from China, these characters are like pictures, representing a meaning and also several different sounds depending on the situation.
Just reading this has probably given you an idea of which style you might like for your tattoo - but don't stop just yet! Now you know what kinds of Japanese characters there are, let's move on to...
2. Writing styles
Come a bit closer. Lean forward towards the screen. That's right. Now, look at the words in front of you. Take a good, close look at the shapes of these letters. Ok? Now tell me honestly: Would you want a tattoo in Times New Roman? How about Tahoma? What's that? You don't want a tattoo by Canon or Epson? Sure you don't. And in the same way, you don't want to have your Japanese tattoo looking like a printout either!
So, now we move on to writing styles. Just like there are three kinds of Japanese characters, there are also three ways they can be written. Don't worry. This is easy! I know, you are reasoning that you can't even read Japanese, so how on earth will you be able to identify these different styles? Well, try this:
Kaisho - Block letters. You learned to write your Abcs like this, and Japanese kids learn to write their characters in just the same way: Like a Volvo - boxy but good.
Gyousho - Cursive letters. You moved up to middle school and learned you could write faster by letting the parts of some letters flow into the next. Yes, you guessed it - the Japanese do the same thing, and they call it gyousho.
Sousho - Super-cursive letters. Ever seen a prescription from a doctor? Then you know what sousho is like in Japanese: Sure, the writer or some other trained someone can (probably) read it, but no one else has a clue what it says!
Are you getting the picture? If you want to look like a computer printout, then be my guest and go for the kaisho style. That's your choice. But I think you probably want to use either gyousho or sousho for your tattoo. My personal preference would be gyousho: It's stylish, but it won't leave even native speakers baffled.
3. Real or fake?
Remember I mentioned Mel C at the beginning? Well guess what kanji she got tattooed on her arm? That's right - "Girl Power": Great in English, but show this kanji blend to most Japanese population and you'll get a blank look at best. Want a worse example? Try "big daddy". Now, you know what it means in English, but put it into kanji and you end up with "large father"! It just doesn't work.
I'm sure you remember that kanji are the only characters that have meaning as well as sound. And their attractiveness means that they are what most population want for their tattoos. But watch out: As well as being popular, they can also be the most dangerous!
Let's see if we can find a pattern here: Look determined at the examples above. What are they communicating - concrete concepts or abstract ideas? Can you see the strangeness the translators had? The kanji for "dragon", "samurai", "love" or any other concrete ideas are pretty easy to discover. But go for whatever with an idiomatic meaning and whoever is trying to help you translate it is going to get a major headache!
Just an idea, but how about this suggestion: Rather than trying to force a round English peg into a square Japanese hole, why not find a real Japanese phrase that you like and get that instead? Bushidou (the Way of the Warrior) and Ninjutsu (The Art of Stealth) are two good examples of real Japanese terms that would make great tattoos.
4. Your name in Japanese
As I'm sure you remember from 2-minute Japanese boot camp, katakana are the characters commonly used to write foreign words and names. So, if you want to get a tattoo of your name, technically these would be the characters you would choose. But I am guessing that, like most people, you want your name written in kanji.
Do a quick quest on Google and you can find a amount of sites that specialize in translating names into kanji. Basically there are two different methods that these sites use, so let's look at them here.
Translating the meaning
This method involves looking out the primary meaning of the English name, and then researching the kanji equivalent.
For example, my name has its origins in Greek and means "crowned one". The one who is crowned is the king, so I could translate my name into the kanji for king and call myself ohsama. (Perhaps a minuscule pretentious - and disturbingly similar to Mr. Bin Laden's first name!)
Translating the sound
This is a lot more difficult! Flick through a dictionary and you will find a bunch of kanji that can be combined to sound like your name. But sound isn't everything: Remember that kanji have meaning as well. In fact, it is even more involved than this! Be sure to check each of the following factors with whatever who translates your name like using this method:
1. Sound - Does it sound like your name or not? I have seen my name "translated" on determined websites to sound like Stefan. Shame my name (Stephen) is really said the same as Steven!
2. On-yomi and kun-yomi - Yes, more technical words! But don't panic - they are easy to understand: Basically, kanji have two kinds of reading. One kind, on-yomi, is their primary Chinese sound. The other, kun-yomi, is their Japanese-only sound. What to watch is that (like oil and water) on-yomi and kun-yomi don't mix. Use either all on-yomi reading or all kun-yomi readings to make the sound of your name.
3. Meaning - Do the kanji have a good meaning together? Now, it can be very difficult to find kanji that sound right and have a good meaning, so you may need to compromise a minuscule on one of these.
4. Masculine or feminine - I guess this is more like a sub-category of meaning, but it is something you need to check out to avoid embarrassment. For example, while "Asian Beauty" may be a great blend for a woman, I get the feeling most men would not be too happy about having that constantly written into their skin!
5. If in doubt, check!
First, use your new-found knowledge of Japanese to ask a few difficult questions to your tattoo artist or kanji "specialist". If you get the feeling they don't know what they are talking about, you probably want to look elsewhere.
Next, before you get whatever permanent done, use an online dictionary to check either the Japanese really means what you want it to. You may not be able to input Japanese yourself, but you can copy and paste characters from an email or web page and see what they mean.
Finally, if you are lucky sufficient to know any, ask a Japanese someone what they think. Their confused expression may tell you that you have come up with someone else "big daddy"!
Follow this guidance and you will avoid the most perilous pitfalls of Japanese tattoos and get a kanji tattoo you can be proud of.
Five Must-Knows When Getting a Kanji TattooExchanging Valentine's Day gifts is very popular in the Western world, but it is also very popular in East Asia. In Japan, Korea, and China (especially Taiwan and Hong Kong) population also celebrate Valentine's day without any religious connotations, and it is quite an leading day for lovers. However, there is a assuredly arresting cultural twist in their Valentine's Day traditions. In this article, I talk only about the Japanese Valentine's Day, but similar twists can be observed in other countries, too.
In Japan, celebrating Valentine's Day originally started among high school girls in 1970's, although there were some failed attempts on the part of Japanese chocolate-makers to introduce the holiday before then. The high school girls decided they would give chocolates to boys whom they adored. At the time, this was quite innovative, and a bold move among Japanese girls when there were still many women following the more old-fashioned "arrangement" path to marriage. As the high school girls grew up, this Valentine's Day "tradition" was gradually expanded, and by the late 70's, it was the major event of the year for women of all ages. This was the day that a woman could send chocolates as a token of love to a man. Even among married couples, the wife would give chocolate to her husband. Eventually, women started sending chocolates to male friends and even to their bosses as expression of thanks.
As the Valentine's Day gift-giving became more popular in Japan, every man was hoping to get at least one chocolate gift on Valentine's Day -- but of policy it wouldn't always happen. Some men got 20 gifts, and others got none. Valentine's Day turned into a charm contest for the men in which the women voted who was most "attractive." However, this created major problems in the close-knit Japanese society. If one male laborer got 20 chocolate gifts from women in the office, but other men got none, this would create a major strain in the workplace. How could the ladies solve this dilemma? They invented a chocolate named "obligatory" chocolate ("Giri-choco" in Japanese). This chocolate had the word "obligation" printed on the outside of the chocolate, but from the outside, the wrapper looked the same. The office ladies would all chip in the cash to buy these chocolates and send them to the less popular men in the office so that, at least on the surface, these men wouldn't have to lose face.
Another cultural twist is "White Day." It falls on March 14th, a month after Valentine's. On this day, a man will return a "love" token to the woman who gave him chocolates on Valentine's day. White Day is assuredly just the invention of chocolate makers, but its popularity shot up immediately as many women conception it was not fair to just give chocolates on Valentine's day and get nothing back. Originally, men would just give some sweets back to the sender, but gradually women started to expect to get more costly gifts in return. This was acceptable, since man's status is still higher than that of women in Japan and Japanese community still expects a man to take care of a woman.
Unfortunately, this new tradition also went to too far. A "popular" superior at the office now needed to cough up rather large whole of money to buy return gifts to the women in the office, rather than simply spending the same whole on his wife! Some clever women took benefit of the situation, and sent out large numbers of cheap chocolates to as many men as they could find, and then imaginable to get some more essential gifts in return. If she did not get anything from a positive man, then bad rumors, saying the guy was stingy, would be circulated in the office. No man needs that, as the prestige is very leading in Japanese society.
Although Valentine's Day is still huge and 20% of annual chocolate sales are made just for the one day, there is some feeling of discontent among the Japanese. According to one of some new studies, as both men and women mature, their antipathy toward Valentine's day increases. It is fun as high school kids, but then it becomes a obligatory social burden as they come to be a part of mainstream society. Although I do not think that Valentine's Day will disappear from Japanese society, since it has a huge commercial point as Christmas does for the Japanese (or, in that matter, for the Us) economy, I expect there will be supplementary evolution of Valentine's Day in Japan. Probably in 20 yrs., you may not even identify Japanese Valentine's Day as the same celebration as we have in the Western World.
Japanese Valentine's Day - An tantalizing Cultural TwistIllustrated stories are short narratives that cope a plot with a composition of text and intricate illustration. The words or the narration is as prominent as the graphics. The Japanese seem to have mastered this genre. They have produced a estimate of prosperous series that gained fanatics not only locally but internationally as well. One of which is Strawberry Panic. Tackling a controversial issue such as homosexual relations and tickling its audience's imagination is its formula for success.
Written by Sakurako Kimino and graphic by Chitose Maki and Namuchi Takumi, Strawberry Panic is a Japanese series of short stories about the lives of young adolescent girls attending exclusive schools and the romantic relationships and feelings that grew in the middle of them as the story progresses. It tackles lesbian relationships and what goes in inside an exclusive girl campus. There are three schools namely, St. Miator's Girls' Academy, St. Spica's Girls found and St. Lulim's Girls School.
All three are housed in one campus and dormitory, the Astraea Hill. The story starts of with Nagisa Aoi, a transferee from an additional one school who was at awe at the sight of her new campus. She was filled with optimism as she embraced the turn of environment. However, in an unfortunate event, Nagisa fell from a hill and found herself lost. Due to the accident, she felt dizzy and unsettled. Unable to identify her surrounding, the young girl started walking colse to the campus when she met Shizuma Hanazono. Shizuma is a high profile student. Being a school representative, she has gained credit and popularity.
And the first time Nagisa laid eyes on her, Nagisa understanding she has seen the most beautiful girl. She was stunned at Shizuma's charm and felt deadness all over her body. Shizuma then moves to kiss her on the forehead and Nagisa fell unconscious. When Nagisa gained consciousness, she found herself in the school clinic where she met an additional one girl named Tamao Suzumi who was going to her roommate at the dormitory. After the incident, Nagisa meets other school girls. She met girls that she liked who have become her friends while others she did not like as much and were merely acquaintances. As the story progresses and the girls are introduced to each other, lesbian relationship starts to arise.
Due to its attractive plot, the series soon earned fans. Six months after its release, Strawberry Panic is proved to be a prosperous venture.
Girls in "Strawberry Panic"With the rise in popularity of sushi, so has the parallel popularity of the Japanese swimsuit models risen. You have reached this site today because you have sought them out on the internet. No, do not be embarrassed, for this site was written especially with you in mind. You are categorically not alone in your admiration of this exotic delicacies.
The country of Japan is known for promoting healthy lifestyles (well at least they eat healthy, smoking and working until nearly dead are not exactly the same as eating raw fish). They have a diet that consists primarily of organic and natural foods. Especially the Japanese swimsuit models do not eat things battered and deep fried for every meal as citizen in some countries do. This is probably why they have such a nice thin physique to put on display for you.
There are so many things you could do with the results of your Google search. You could just sit and stare at the varied websites. You could study the lives and careers of some of these models. You could take your photo of the model of your choice and use it as a background or screen saver on your computer! You could take some separate pictures plug them into a photo smart program and print out your very own twelve month calendar featuring the gorgeous Japanese swimsuit models of your choice and liking.
You could print out the pictures of your popular models and cut them out and put them in those coaster things you see at Christmas time everywhere. Maybe you are not even the big fan of these models, maybe your father or brother or best friend is? These would by all means; of course make awesome holiday gifts. Or you could bring them to someone's house at Christmas to play the "dirty Santa" game. It is always more fun and funny if the gifts citizen bring are categorically and categorically dirty instead of nice.
Perhaps you are such a fan of this type of woman that you would enjoy beginning your own website dedicated to their edification and exploitation? You could use pretty colors and fonts to share your love of Asian beauties with the world at large. Possibly you are a big adequate fan of only one girl? If you have researched (not stalked, they are too far away anyhow) this lady thoroughly, you should have a database of pictures available for other citizen just like yourself to check out and enjoy. There is no sense of retention all of the gorgeous Japanese swimsuit models all to yourself. You are not greedy are you? I think not.
I hope this website has been helpful in your, no doubt endless quest for the perfect Japanese face attached to the perfect Japanese body wearing nearly nothing at all. Let us know if you find something better. Everybody appreciates a gorgeous Japanese woman showing her sweet self off in seductive and sensual poses. We wish you good luck and bid you adieu. Y'all come back now you hear?
Japanese Swimsuit ModelsThe asian fashion sector is one of the fastest growing segments in the fashion industry. This is in general due to the fact that the fashion commerce has gone global. Earlier, only the designers from eastern countries had gone to foreign land to task their designs. But the availability of their products was hard. Now, products from Asian market are selling in foreign market like they are being sold in the local markets. This feat was achieved manly due to the advancements in the field of marketing and distribution ideas advanced by these designers. This has enabled many to broaden their export market and reach.
This reach and increase of Asian fashion means that it is easier to find more and more Asian affect in the mainstream world of fashion market. This affect on fashion ranges from clothing lines for women to that of sports wear for men. Some of the examples would be that of the modern style of low waist jeans for under 30s are heavily influenced by the Japanese market. Most of the designs are influenced by the entertainment commerce and the beloved culture of the place. Anther example is that of the Japanese school girl look. This is heavily used and marketed by many pop bands around the world.
Designs from Indian market are targeted more at the older sector of the market. They are primarily based on the styles of 60s and 70s influences of the Indian culture. Indian style fabric and option is used for bringing in the retro styled looks. These bohemian looking designs are made by mimicking the Indian fabrics. One of the first Asian countries to enter the fashion market is the Chinese. affect of Chinese fashion is obvious straight through out the world market regardless of the place that you choose to shop.
All these influences give us adequate evidences to state that the Asian fashion has absolutely come of age. Even though they started by development the products similar to that is found in our market, now they are incorporating their native designs to furnish us with a variety look and style. Now you can find anyone from sophisticated high-end designer pieces to something for daily wear for everyone. This success of Asian clothing has increased the whole of chain market showcasing their products. an additional one great option is to go straight through discrete websites and order items directly from the designer. This will allow you to correlate prices and avail them at a much economy rate.
influence of Asia in the World Fashion storeGirls Kissing in Public: A New Found leisure for Women? As a young girl growing up in the 1960's, I was raised with definite guidelines on "proper body image". There was a way I was supposed to look, sit, move, and touch my body that followed definite standards of protocol. No adjusting the crotch area or a bra strap in public; all the time sitting with my legs together; all the time wearing clean underwear; and preferably high waisted cotton ones for great coverage and absorption. You get the point. There were rigid rules on the clothes I could wear; from the length of my skirt to the type of gym shorts I was forced to put on that made me cringe in the shadows of my gym locker.
Life in my early teens was all the time painstakingly difficult and embarrassing. My mother made me check my pants for that red stain from my duration continually and all the time checked that the pad wasn't bulging out too obviously from my clothes. These were the days when Spanx® didn't exist to suck in every unintentional bulge. Yes, there were girdles, but they were reserved for my grandmother and had come to be old relics of an era gone by. I was all the time being chastised by my mother about showing too much bra strap under my sleeveless blouse or told my bra did not look good under my top because it showed too much of my size 32B chest in an unflattering way. (like that was even possible).
I permanently checked the mirror to make sure there wasn't any Clearasil® on my face. I could only wear make up that was "sheer" giving just a hint of color, which meant it covered nothing on my face and every zit stood out mercilessly. As I grew up, known of every flaw, bulge, clothing stain, and inappropriate body exposure, I watched my brother and his male friends play baseball and spew phlegm without one worry about their appearance or their collective hygiene. I admit that I all the time envied the leisure they had growing up; being able to scratch their crotch and walk shirtless in public, fart in front of each other with wild abandon, and pick their nose whenever the urge struck, without any recrimination. Not that I ever wanted to do those things in public, but it sure would have changed the way I felt about myself.
For them, there were no reprimands for such arrogant collective display; just lots of laughter and mocking each other about whose fart was the loudest or smelled the foulest. It just wasn't fair. Here I was, petrified at being inspected by my aunt whenever she visited me as she assessed the amelioration of my breasts like a weatherman assesses the day's weather: "It's still mild out, no clouds advent out, maybe one day the winds will pick up". How horrifying to be mocked about my developing womanhood in front of relatives in such a cavalier way.
I felt as if adult woman in my life were put on this earth for the sole purpose of humiliating me. And why? To build my character? It in fact wasn't to build my confidence. By the time I was 13 I felt like a bodily freak of nature. Then there was the relentless teasing from boys at school. My mother would all the time say, "If a boy teases you, that means he likes you". But that was just to make me feel better. I knew it wasn't true. Boys teased girls to feel superior to girls; to claim their manhood; to vent their frustration at being forced to eat broccoli the night before for dinner; for finding our hairy unshaven legs or zits or breath repulsive. Boys teased naturally because they could get away with it.
The only time they teased us and in fact did it based on "liking anyone about us" was when they played with a girl's hair who sat in front of them. But even that was a power trip: when they could proclaim to the class room world "Even though she has gorgeous blonde hair, I can still put a pencil in it and make her life miserable." And who can forget the safe bet time all the boys and girls were on line waiting in the hallway at school (to do something like take a test) just as the janitor hauled a load of tampon boxes to the "girl's bathroom".
That excellent moment frosty in each girl's memory forever as the boys laughed and snickered to each other and the girls just stood there frosty with shame as those cartons passed us by. You can bet those boys knew more about female menstruation and sex than we did. Most of us never spoke about getting our periods with our mother; we were taught what we "needed to learn" in condition class; which just made us more fearful and self known about our bodies; or on the day "the curse" arrived. And here were our fellow boy classmates, laughing and pointing to the boxes and talking to each other about it, as if it was some joke they were all in on, while we watched in mortified silence.
That's just how life was for young girls back in the 1960's. Dealing with our body image was one struggle after another; from those hard, painful plastic hair rollers we slept on overnight just to get our hair curled perfectly to our not invisible acne cream that all the time stayed on our face even after washing it off. Head pain in the morning for breakfast, anyone? Acne medicine stuck on your face all day, anyone?" And, just to get more condolement from any young girl reading this article, who still doesn't think life back then was so bad for young girls, did I mention that coffee was a drink thoroughly off limits? I wasn't allowed to drink coffee at all, no Starbucks® catering to teens and college kids in the world back then. I was lucky if I got to suck on one of my grandmother's coffee candies from her well private candy jar.
Yes, being a youthful girl back then was not about finding "hot" and alluringly sexy. This was an unthinkable understanding back then for young girls. Of course, there was all the time the token "hot girl" in class who looked like Britney Spears and every girl longed to look like her because all the male teachers never made her do any homework and she could come in late for every class. But she was all the time the town slut. It wasn't until the 1980's and the advent of girls wearing jeans to school, that the world moderately started to convert for preteen and youthful girls. By the 1990's, a new world for preteen and youthful girls embracing a more liberal body image took off full force, thanks to the media work on of Britney Spears. She was the first one to successfully mix being cute, innocent and sexually alluring in an standard way. She changed how girls in high school were allowed to dress roughly overnight.
Suddenly there were belly button piercings and low hipped jeans barely surface lower abdomens. No more hair in curlers; flat ironing took care of that, and no more worry about stains, at least if there was one we in fact didn't feel the world ended if anyone saw it. Girls put away their knee socks and wore sexy underwear.
Teens were targeted to buy fragrances with seductive names that only their mothers were allowed to buy decades earlier. Catalogues for undergarments catering to teen and college girls became more intriguing and Victoria Secret® push up bras gave young teens permission to show cleavage and that quality to look more like a perilous vixen from the neck down and "the girl next door" from the neck up. Girls were no longer innocent about their body or sexuality or inhibited about showing bra straps. Yes, before Britney there were bra straps worn in collective by Madonna; production it cool to wear a bra as a top by itself, but she was the rebel look, the exception to the rule. Now, thanks too Britney, every young girl could flaunt their assets shamelessly. That became the new rule.
This was truly revolutionary. Suddenly girls could wear any kind of top they wanted and wear make up to school and no one cared. No one recriminated. Girls became free of those reins of intimidation and shame about their appearance and hygiene. A new world of leisure had ultimately arrived. But where was this new world of leisure important us? The challenge to having this new found body/physical leisure is to use it in safe bet ways that continue to build our self esteem as women. Which brings me to why I even wrote this article. The current cool thing to do is "girls tongue kissing each other in front of guys in public". Yes, it's the surest way for girls to get concentration from guys and feel a sense of competitive victory over other women for male attention. What girl would have dreamed in the 1960's that they could publicly kiss a girl without recrimination? We were too busy production sure we had the right slip under our clothes so our underwear frame didn't show. I see girls doing this in collective and on Tv, and I think to myself, "But aren't girls just giving guys an excuse to bond together and mock us again, the way they taunted us back in collective school? Why can't we just be liberated without needing male concentration to validate our newly found bodily freedom? "
Sometimes, when I look at the faces on those guys as they watch two girls tongue kiss at a bar; I see the same wild eyed mocking stare I saw on the boys' faces as that carton of tampons came passing by in 8th grade. It's as if we've just supplanted their mocking us about our hygiene with their mocking us about our errant sexual ways. Guys may seem to enjoy watching two women tongue kiss and even seem to be sexually "turned on", but my hunch is that this collective display is more for their entertainment; their bonding with each other; and finding us as the opposite sex to mock again; just as they did in collective school.
As a young girl, I all the time wanted my bodily body leisure to be equal to a boy's bodily body freedom. I wanted no double standards about being called promiscuous when they could be called a stud. But that kind of leisure starts with the way I see myself and how I expect others to treat me. Being free to kiss another girl in collective to get a guy's concentration is not what that kind of leisure is about. I'm not saying girls should start picking their nose or scratch their crotch area in public. What I am saying is that our leisure comes in the way we allow ourselves to be treated by others; by being respected regardless of how we dress, by getting tattoos or piercings if we select to; by wearing make up when we feel the time is right; and never worrying again about a bra strap sticking out of our tank top.
It's leisure from comment and double standards about our bodies. It's having the freedom to do what we want with our bodies just as men have the right; to have the right to feel safe bet about how we select to look without following set rules of female protocol; without recrimination or ridicule from anyone. No more shame about our bodies or our appearance. This is the leisure we have long deserved for ourselves as females. When we feel the need to use this leisure to do things reserved for the bedroom right in public, just to get attention, then we are just demeaning ourselves again. Believe me, I never want to see those "knee sock wearing, curler sleeping, makeup deprived" days of the 1960's again. I want young girls to all the time feel good about how they look, and I want them to feel that their sexual/physical behavior is all about pleasing their needs, not just about pleasing some guy's libido.
Kissing another girl so a guy can bond with his buddies by shouting encouragement at you is not about your freedom; it's about his freedom. Using our bodily leisure to attract that kind of concentration from guys is selling ourselves out. It isn't using our bodily leisure to fulfill our needs and desires about our sexuality. It isn't valuing how long we've come for the right to dress and look as we want to; it's just doing anyone with our body for any shallow infer because we now have the right to do it. It's acting like the guy who farts in collective just because he has the power to do it. Yes, young girls have come a long way since those days of gym shorts and bra strap policing, and we need to appreciate how important this journey has been for all women. I in fact can appreciate it. I've just flat ironed my hair and I'm wearing my beloved Victoria Secret® undergarment because I like to feel sexy for me. As I look in the mirror, I smile to myself when I think about my childhood past. I've in fact come a long way from that insecure, small chested girl of my teens and I know my aunt would be proud.
Girls Kissing Each Other in communal - A New Found leisure For Women?Given the increasing number of Asian women worldwide, it's no wonder that many men want to learn how to attract Asian women. We see lots of movies and articles that portray these sexy women as very eager to please their men. Many Caucasian men enjoy the exotic look of Asian women and are quick to seek their company. This has come to be such a current trend that you will now see abbreviations in the personal ads such as "Aaf" which means "Asian-American Female". Let's focus on ways to get an Asian girlfriend so you can start discovering the positive benefits for yourself.
First of all, you need to know where to look to find Asian women. Start frequenting places where you know there will be a large number of Asian women. For example, make it a point to dine out at your favorite Japanese restaurant at least once a week, attend a dance hosted by an Asian club or even do some of your shopping at Asian market where you can chat up the employees. If your main focus is learning how to attract Asian women, you will begin to examine great venues filled with many Orientals.
You also need to make yourself culturally aware of the differences that may exist if you get involved with an interracial relationship. learning how to attract Asian women may want a miniature more endeavor than dating Caucasian women. For example, you need to respect the traditional customs of an Asian woman, just like you would with any other culture. Don't come across as too brash or transmit and pay attentiveness to how things are done within her home.
Although, it may sound stereotypical, many traditional Asian women are accustomed to adopting a more "subservient" role than their Caucasian counterparts adopt, this is not meant as a derogatory statement, but more of a cultural observation. Therefore, you should make sure to gift yourself as a "real man" who likes to take control. learning how to attract Asian girls involves making the majority of the decisions and letting her feel she will be well taken care of at all times especially during sex. Because an Asian woman is less likely to compete for a dominant role, she will be more likely to appreciate your positive take-charge attitude.
If you are a Caucasian man who wants to hop on the current bandwagon and learn how to attract Asian women, focus on where to find them first. Once you examine places these women like to frequent, make it a point to learn a bit about their background and customs. You can authentically ruin a good date by making a cultural faux pas you weren't even aware of. Last but not least, remember to utter an air of confidence and control when exploring a association with an Asian woman.
How to Attract Asian Women - Surefire Ways to Get an Asian Girlfriend